David Yoakley Mitchell attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA-96) and studied photography and anthropology; he also attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland.

He is the Director of Operations for the Atlanta Preservation Center, is the President of M.H. Mitchell, Inc., and continually works with the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries to expand its collections.

He is married for over 20 years and has a 13-year-old son. A native of Rome, Georgia he and his family live in Grant Park – in Atlanta.